Strength and Beauty Dwell In You

Today’s Word of Encouragement from Wayne:

"Splendor and majesty are before Him, strength and beauty are in His sanctuary"

Psalm 96: 6

Praise God! Scripture reveals, "You are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you" (1 Corinthians 3: 16). You and I are a sanctuary for our Lord, Who abides in us, so we may abide in Christ, according to His word (John 15: 4-11). So, according to this psalm, "strength and beauty" are in you, for you have become God’s new covenant sanctuary, His inner court temple. How may we see this strength and this beauty? Step inside.

As Jesus said, "Go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you" (Matthew 6: 6). Your inner room is the room within you, where your Father dwells, and He sees all prayer, praise and devotion. An immediate reward, every time we practice our priesthood, ministering to the Lord in our inner room, God’s sanctuary and resting place (Isaiah 66: 1-2), is that we are graced to see strength and beauty in His sanctuary, in us! This is a great reward. Simply to be with God, in His presence, beholding the awesome strength and beauty of Himself, is a supreme reward. And this is available to us, actually within us, 24/7!

As Jesus Himself declared, at the close of the New Testament, "My reward is with Me" (Revelation 22: 12). Hallelujah! One day for sure we will be with our Lord in heaven forever, but right now, in the meantime, I need some of that "with Me" reward. I want to be with my Lord in His presence, now. To be with Him, is to behold His strength and beauty, which is always life-renewing, faith-strengthening, and beauty inducing. I am sure this is why David wrote, "One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple" (Psalm 27: 4).

Beloved child of God, see this now: this "one thing" that David was asking God for, your Lord Jesus has already given to you, and His beauty within awaits your attending presence and blessing even at this moment. Step inside, beloved, and praise your God’s holy name, declaring to your Lord that "Splendor and majesty are before You, strength and beauty are in Your sanctuary." Hallelujah!